The original issue can be found at: DISCLAIMER: Baptist Press should be credited for any reprinted stories that originate with BP. Suggested credit line: Reprinted from Baptist Press (, news service of the Southern Baptist Convention. Please note that Baptist Press periodically carries stories from other sources by permission. Individuals interested in reprinting non-BP stories should contact the entity where the story originated to seek reprint permission. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITORIAL: Orígenes de la Familia Humana by Gerardo A. Alfaro Date: June 30, 2017 - Friday NOTA DEL EDITOR: La columna First-Person (De primera mano) es parte de la edición de hoy de BP en español. Para ver historias adicionales, vaya a FORT WORTH, Texas, (BP) -- El libro de los Orígenes nos cuenta sobre cómo el Creador estableció el orden y la naturaleza de la realidad en la que hoy vivimos (Gn.1-3). Mi interés en este corto ensayo es enumerar las bendiciones con las que él dotó a la familia humana. 1. SEMEJANZA. Los seres humanos fueron dotados con la imagen de Dios. (1:26-27). Ningún otro ser en la tierra o en cielo tiene este privilegio. No hay ángel o criatura que junto con la pareja humana pueda decirse portador de la imagen de su creador. La discusión teológica sobre cuál es la naturaleza de esa imagen es larga y complicada. Aquí deberá bastar decir que la imagen de Dios en el ser humano tiene que ver con reflejar el carácter de Dios. La primera pareja y sus descendientes tendrán como parte de su naturaleza el reflejar el carácter de su creador. Y si alguien advierte que esto parece demasiado vago, deberá recordarse que el Nuevo Testamento identifica al ser humano Jesús de Nazaret como la imagen del Dios invisible. Tener la imagen de Dios significaría imitar a Jesús en la forma en que el Nuevo Testamento nos guía. 2. SEXO. La familia humana también fue dotada desde el origen con una naturaleza sexuada. "Varón y hembra los creó." No cabe duda que el Creador en su sapiencia y poder ha escogido dejarnos claro cómo él entiende y pretende que la familia humana se conciba a sí misma. Esto debe observarse en dos sentidos, principalmente. Note que con toda la creatividad del ser supremo, no crea más que dos identidades sexuales y no más. Ni uno más, "varón y hembra" es su idea de la pareja humana. No hay nada en medio de estos dos. Con toda su sabiduría, Dios no ofrece todas "las opciones" que hoy el ser humano parece haber creado. Si insistimos en algo diferente estamos desfigurando la idea y el propósito divino para el ser humano. En segundo lugar debe reconocerse que el Creador limita la relación de pareja a un varón y una "varona." Aunque el Antiguo Testamento a veces aparenta presentar otras opciones, ni la poligamia ni la poliandria son ideas de Dios. Jesús mismo hará referencia a esto cuando enseña que si bien es cierto Dios ha sido paciente con los desordenes familiares en la historia humana, "al principio no fue así." El profeta Malaquías, muchas centurias más tarde del Génesis, nos dice que la razón por la que Dios hizo esto no fue porque no tuviera suficiente "espíritu," más bien fue porque él buscaba "descendencia" que reflejará la fidelidad y santidad de él mismo. "Sin una pareja heterosexual no hay Edén ni paraíso." 3. ADMINISTRAR. Dios bendijo a la primera familia que representaba a todas las que vendrían después dándole autoridad sobre la demás creación (1:28). El juzgar y señorear sobre las demás criaturas implica la capacidad de tener voluntad para tomar decisiones. Adán será encargado de estudiar a todos los animales y cuidar de ellos. El señorío sobre la creación será un trabajo de administración en nombre de Dios. La familia del ser humano administrará la creación en nombre de Dios, cosa que implicaría el tomar decisiones y desarrollar su creatividad. Por ejemplo, poner nombre a todos los animales requeriría una creatividad abundante. Dios desea que el ser humano no sea siempre un niño al que se le da todo, y al que se le provee todo. La potencialidad del ser humano implica su crecimiento y responsabilidad al usar de lo que Dios ha creado. 4. ALIMENTO. Dios provee alimento delicioso a la vista. Dios no sólo provee alimentación a su virrey, el ser humano. También se preocupa porque ese alimento que consistía en una riqueza del fruto de la tierra, fuese algo delicioso a la vista de la primera pareja, y bueno al gusto del ser humano. Obviamente la historia narrada en Genesis es simplemente una generalización que no llega a describir todas las facultades que Dios debió formar en el ser humano para que fuese capaz de disfrutar estéticamente de su alimento, y que lo pudiera degustar con deleite. Dios es el creador del deleite y provee para que su subalterno lo experimente totalmente. 5. PROPOSITO. Es interesante que es dentro de este contexto en el que Dios le provee al humano también otra bendición que con frecuencia no se mira como tal. Me refiero a lo que ha hecho para proveer al hombre una razón y propósito de su estadía en el Edén. Dios le da Adán el encargo de labrar y guardar el huerto, y con esto le ofrece colaborar en el mantenimiento de la creación. La providencia es también una tarea que Dios comparte con la familia humana. La labranza es trabajar para el fruto que la tierra produce. Algunos teólogos piensan cuando Dios le manda "guardar" el huerto del Edén a Adán está presuponiendo que existían otros seres que pudieran dañarlo (por ejemplo, la serpiente). Quizá. Pero a mí me parece que el guardar tiene que ver también con no destruir, no abusar, no explotar hasta su agotamiento. Dios ha colocado a la primera pareja como administradora de bienes que no son absolutamente de su propiedad. Debe "cuidarlos." Por otro lado, este encargo incluye una definición del trabajo. Antes de la desobediencia humana, el trabajo no es la forma en la que el ser humano "se gana el pan diario." El pan y sostenimiento del hombre proviene de la gracia de Dios y no del esfuerzo humano.  Sólo después cambiará esto. El trabajo, más bien, es la forma en que el ser humano encuentra su misión cultural, ecológica y global, cuidar de la creación de Dios. "Reciclar," "reforestar," entre otras actividades, por ejemplo, no son un lujo o excentricidad. Son más bien parte de la misión global que Dios le ha dejado a la familia humana. Cuidar de la creación de Dios, es parte de la misión que Dios le ha entregado al ser humano. 6. LEY. En medio de esta gran misión, el ser humano recibe un mandato directo. Podemos hablar de la primera expresión de la ley divina. El ser humano y su familia existen y funcionan moderados y dirigidos por la palabra y el mandato de Dios (2:16-17). La ley como tal no es gravosa o pesada, el ser humano tiene una abundancia y variedad de deliciosos frutos que el que no pueda comer de uno, no parece ser algo pesado u opresivo. Que Dios no se detenga a describir el fruto -- nunca se dice que fuese una manzana como la superstición tardía lo haría -- añade evidencia de lo anterior. Más bien parece que la narración se ha trabajado precisamente para que se observe cuán insignificante era aquella prohibición cuando se le compara con las provisiones a la mano. La familia humana debe saber que no es absoluta, la medida de todas las cosas no es la decisión humana, es la palabra y la ley de Dios. ¡Tampoco existe paraíso sin la palabra del Señor! La importancia de la ley de Dios no necesariamente se encuentra en que podamos o no entender cuán trascendental es el mandamiento divino -- aunque muchas veces lo es. Aquí en el Edén, lo que se nos revela es que lo importante es reconocer que es la palabra de Dios. Con los datos bíblicos que tenemos, sería fácil cuestionar cuál es la importancia de comer de aquel fruto. Tal mandamiento parece insignificante. Pero, por lo mismo, cualquiera diría que sería sumamente fácil de obedecer. Dios nunca se detiene a explicarlo. La serpiente más adelante sugerirá razones. Pero, otra vez, parece ser que lo que trata de hacer es cuestionar la palabra de Dios. Mientras hasta ahora todo el universo ha obedecido a esta palabra creadora, efectiva y fiel, lo que está en juego aquí es si la primera pareja humana obedecerá también. El mandamiento fue uno de esas dádivas que los seres humanos no supimos -- y muchas veces hoy -- no sabemos aprovechar. 7. AYUDA. La última dádiva a mencionar aquí es la provisión de ayuda calificada. Debe notarse que la provisión sucede en el contexto inmediato al mandamiento. Es cómo si el Señor dijera que no es bueno que el hombre este solo si ha de cumplir el mandamiento que le acaba de dar (2:18). La ayuda vendría especialmente para ayudarlo a cumplir ese encargo. Ningún otro ser animal cumple con el requisito que Dios mismo ha puesto "ayuda idónea." Es la mujer, la ishá, la que lleva ese título. Escuchó bien. Es un título y no una palabra para discriminar. Que la mujer sea la ayuda idónea, o adecuada, habla de la calidad que ella tiene para poder ayudar al hombre, al ish. Nada más ni nadie más tiene ese título, a excepción del mismo Dios que muchas veces se hace nombrar como el ayudador de Jacob (comp. Sal. 146:5; Heb. 13:6). La mujer no es entonces la sirvienta del hombre, la mujer es la ayuda necesaria y apropiada, sin la que el hombre es incapaz de cumplir a cabalidad el mandato divino. La mujer también es parte de "Adán" porque salió de él, y por lo mismo, posee la misma calidad de él, sino también porque Dios la identifica como teniendo la misma esencia del ser humano (Gn. 5:1-2). Es contra esta necesidad y ayuda que la rebelión y desobediencia humana se han levantado muchísimas veces. Muchas veces como machismo que aplasta a su ayuda; a veces como feminismo que mutila también esa relación, proclamando una independencia egoísta. Hoy en día, esta naturaleza de servicio mutuo confronta uno de sus retos más grandes. Si la mujer es ayuda idónea, ningún hombre podrá llenar esa función para otro hombre. Si al que se le debe ayudar es al hombre, ninguna mujer necesita del tipo de ayuda que el hombre necesita. Hacer de la identidad sexual sólo una etiqueta con la que puedo jugar para un lado y para otro, asignándola a mi discreción y a mi preferencia, es señal inequívoca de haber asistido a otra forma grosera en la que el ser humano rechaza la dádiva divina. La sexualidad del ser humano no es simplemente capacidad de reproducirse, dentro de ella se incluyen un sinnúmero de cualidades que hacen única a la mujer, y único al hombre. Repellar la carne del cuerpo humano o jugar con sus hormonas podrán lograr una transformación sólo superficial, pero nunca podrán proveer esas cualidades tan innatas con las que el ish y la isha han sido dotados y bendecidos por su Creador, y siempre dejarán al ser humano en profundo desconcierto e insatisfacción. Sólo aquellos que en contra de la correntada moderna se atreven a genuinamente volver a Jesús de Nazaret y su entendimiento de los orígenes de la familia y el ser humano, podrán gozar del éxtasis que producen las bendiciones del Dios del Génesis. -------------------------------------------------------------------- MOVIES: Family friendly films for the Fourth by Phil Boatwright Date: June 30, 2017 - Friday KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) -- It's kind of an unnerving time for our nation, isn't it? Our fellow citizens seem so divided, and it appears satisfying for some to dredge up America's misdeeds without acknowledging the positive accomplishments of its people, past or present. Admittedly, there are still wrongs that need to be righted in our land, but to ignore the contributions of our forefathers and our fellow citizens seems more politically opportunistic than morally constructive. Is it too late for our country to come together and heal? This Fourth of July, our nation's families need to recognize who we are as a people and how we came to be. I have three movies in mind that do that in a most entertaining way. America's Heart and Soul From 2004, this was one of the most joyous film-going experiences I'd had at the movies. In fact, I remember saying to a fellow critic at the press screening, "I don't want this to end." Documentarian Louis Schwartzberg packed up his camera and hit the road with the goal of capturing both the unparalleled beauty of the U.S. and the incomparable spirit of its people. Schwartzberg's gift is his ability to connect with people, honestly capturing their values, dreams and passions. His finished film project is a celebration of a nation told through the voices of its people. Funny, moving, insightful, it's everything you want in a movie-going experience. Best of all, America's Heart and Soul is a wonderful example of how film can unite people. This production gives a fresh, inspiring perspective on what constitutes America as such a unique place, and what makes Americans a special breed. Some of the segments will cause your sides to ache from laugher, while others will bring a tear to your eye. In addition to a variety of inspiring stories, the documentary pays tribute to our religious beliefs, featuring uplifting gospel music and several visuals that spotlight the Christian faith. In an era of "reality" programming that generally focuses on negative traits in mankind, America's Heart & Soul gives us a positive and powerful glimpse into the diversity of our country's citizenry. And in spite of our differences, it salutes our commonality -- our innermost need to dream and to have passion and compassion. Rated PG, America's Heart and Soul contains one segment featuring Salsa dancers in provocative movement, but I didn't find it exploitive or excessive. Throughout the production, the intent of the filmmaker was to present a positive view of what America is and what it can continue to become. 1776 America is a unique community, a microcosm of the world's peoples. So, how did we begin? A movie musical from 1972 did an award-worthy job in fleshing out our Founding Fathers and their unique contribution -- the Declaration of Independence. "1776" is an entertaining musical drama that reenacts the beginning of the American Revolution and features William Daniels as John Adams, Howard DaSilva as Ben Franklin, and Ken Howard as Thomas Jefferson. It's inspiring, informative and moving. Rated PG (Caution: 1776 contains a few expletives and the phrase "By God" is used several times. But it is also evident that these men respected the Creator.) In the Shadow of the Moon "In the Shadow of the Moon" (2007) exemplifies America's character. We dream it, then we do it. This incisive documentary presents the accounts of the surviving members of the Apollo teams who walked on the moon, revealing how we were unified by NASA's endeavors. It presents a portrait of those space explorations, even allowing for the spiritual implications that affected the men on those journeys. At one point, we hear Charles Duke from the Apollo 9 mission give his testimony. I couldn't believe my ears as I sat in the press screening; a man was declaring his faith in Jesus Christ and there were no snickers from audience members. Indeed, my fellow moviegoers seemed reflective in their silence, realizing that there is something far bigger than man, or even space. Rated PG (two minor expletives, but I caught no harsh or profane language). So what's dividing us now? Well, if you don't reverence God now, eventually you won't respect man. Too many politicians, social activists, and media moguls think our country can be restructured without applying a spiritual perspective. Sadly, they're attempting to rebuild on sand the house we live in. Not on the Rock. For me, the best films, like biblical parables, nourish the spirit as well as entertain. In the case of the three above, they provide an insight into the character and diversity of Americans, while also suggesting that a reverence for God and His Son is needed to maintain this "shining city upon a hill."* *From Ronald Reagan's farewell address to the nation. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bonnaroo 'Jesus Tent' sharing Christ's love by David Dawson Date: June 30, 2017 - Friday MANCHESTER, Tenn. (BP) -- The line outside the tent is lengthy, but it moves along steadily and orderly. Even at 10:30 in the morning, long before any musical acts have taken the stage, the 'Jesus Tent' is buzzing with activity at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Bringing to mind the image of the occupants boarding Noah's Ark, the processional of young adults, often arriving in pairs, gradually makes its way closer and closer to the tent in Manchester, Tenn., about an hour's drive south of Nashville. Once inside, the group continues to progress, moving up incrementally beside the long and narrow "pick-up" tables, where a variety of free items -- from apples to sunscreen to shampoo -- are available for the taking. In the meantime, the back of the line gains numerous newcomers, content to patiently wait their turn. It's a cycle that repeats itself, nonstop, for the better part of five straight days. The Jesus Tent -- an outreach ministry of First Baptist Church, Manchester, and supported through a team of churches from Duck River Baptist Association and other associations, and the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board (TBMB) -- operates almost like a perpetual motion machine throughout the duration of the annual Bonnaroo event in early June. "We set up the tent on Wednesday night at 5 p.m., and we run straight through to Sunday afternoon," said Jake Dorak, associate pastor and minister of missions and evangelism at First Baptist. "We're open night and day, 24 hours a day." Funded by gifts through the Golden Offering for Tennessee Missions, the Jesus Tent has been a mainstay at Bonnaroo for more than a decade and has become a popular place for many of the festival's regulars. For the past four years, TBMB evangelism specialist David Evans has teamed up with Dorak to help oversee the tent. Together, they serve as the point men on the project. It's hard work, naturally, and it takes months of planning and preparation. But the rewards are plentiful -- and eternal. This year, there were approximately 200 spiritual decisions, including conversions, rededications and prayer requests. "I can honestly say that I have not found a better, or easier, place on the face of the planet to share Jesus than at Bonnaroo," said Evans, "and I blame the Holy Spirit for that. Before we even get to the tent, the Holy Spirit is at work, preparing the hearts (of the attendees) for what's in store." The Jesus Tent attracted long lines as participants at Bonnaroo line up for free snacks and other items provided free of charge by local churches. How it works The overall mission of the Jesus Tent is to reach the Bonnaroo attendees by demonstrating the love of Christ. Those who visit the tent are able to pick up the free goodies in a "no-strings-attached" environment. They are not greeted by counselors, nor do they have to sign up for Sunday School. Rather, the sharing of the Gospel takes place outside the tent, as volunteers fan out into the open fields that surround Great Stage Park. "The goal is not for us to sit in the tent and have people approach us," Evans said. "We want to go out into the crowd and bring our message to them." The Jesus Tent has hosted 15,000 to 19,000 visitors each year for the past three years, and Dorak said the tent's popularity is due, at least in part, to the word-of-mouth endorsements from the campers at Bonnaroo. They know, he said, that they can come to the tent and not feel pressured to talk about spiritual matters. Instead, they can come in and just feel loved. "I believe we've earned the trust (of the attendees)," said Dorak, "and I think that factors so much into the success." Evans noted, "We feel (the approach we use) is a great way of disarming people and erasing the stigma that many people have about church." This year, a worship service was held during the final hours of the tent's operation on Sunday morning, with Evans delivering a brief message and giving an invitation. Attendees who were interested in making a decision were invited to speak with counselors or fill out response cards. People willing to give their time The list of assignments and duties involved with the Jesus Tent is rather lengthy. But so, too, is the list of volunteers. "I am always blown away by how many people are willing to give of their time," Dorak said. "It is truly humbling to sit back and see that happen." The volunteers generally work three-hour shifts, but some feel called to go well beyond that. "I have seen several times when someone will work their shift, and then immediately come back and sign up to work again," Dorak said. The day shifts are filled with people of all ages, and the overnight shifts are held down by a group of college students from The Bridge Church in Oxford, Ohio. "The volunteers are the key to it all," Dorak said. Looking back ... and ahead Interestingly, the concept of the Jesus Tent sprang forth from water -- as in, bottled water. In the summer of 2001, when Bonnaroo experienced its first significant attendance boom, the city of Manchester was woefully ill-prepared for the massive influx of visitors. The result was total gridlock in the streets of Manchester, and the traffic tie-ups spilled over onto the highways, too. Brenton Cox, the lead pastor at First Baptist, Manchester, felt moved to reach out to the stranded drivers, many of whom were trapped on the road for hours. So Cox came up with a plan: For several hours each day, church members went into the streets, moving from car to car, passing out bottled water. First Baptist continued this ministry each summer during the early years of Bonnaroo's success. Eventually, the traffic problems in Manchester were eased when city officials developed new-and-improved routes for the festival-goers. Cox, however, felt called to maintain an outreach to the Bonnaroo attendees. The concept of an evangelism tent soon came about -- and the idea turned into a reality in 2006, when the "More Than Music" tent made its debut. Nine years later, by popular demand, the name was changed. "We were aware that many of the 'Bonnaroovians' referred to us as 'The Jesus Tent,' " Dorak said. "So, in 2015, we decided to do some rebranding, and we officially changed our name to the Jesus Tent." But while the name has changed, the focus has not. The project has remained true to its bottled-water roots, with the continued goal of meeting people's need. Including, most importantly, their need for Jesus. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Layman honors wife's legacy at Bonnaroo by David Dawson Date: June 30, 2017 - Friday EDITOR'S NOTE: Please see related Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival story. MANCHESTER, Tenn. (BP) -- Ignoring the heat and the insects, Bill Thompson maneuvered his way through the tall grass, weaving through the maze of parked cars and pop-up tents that were jammed together in the massive open field at Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tenn. The path wasn't especially easy to navigate for the 85-year-old Thompson. But he relentlessly pressed on, determined to complete his two-pronged mission: Sharing the Good News of Jesus to the massive collection of attendees at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and honoring the legacy of his late wife, Gerri. Thanks to a supply of frisbees -- yes, frisbees -- Thompson was able to accomplish both objectives. Seeking a simple way to connect with Bonnaroo's crowd, largely comprised of 20-somethings, Thompson purchased several boxes of frisbees this year and had them custom-made for the occasion. Inscribed on the frisbees was this simple message: God and Gerri love you. Prior to her death in 2016, Gerri had established an annual tradition of attending Bonnaroo, which is held annually in early June. For several years, she and her husband volunteered to serve as part of the "Jesus Tent," an outreach ministry of First Baptist Church, Manchester, and supported by a team of churches from Duck River Baptist Association and other associations, along with the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. "She loved coming (to Bonnaroo) and connecting with the young people," Thompson said. "One of her favorite things to do was to get out and throw the frisbee; it was her methodology to reach the kids.... Gerri loved missions, and (Bonnaroo) was her passion." Thompson said he and his wife were strong supporters of the outreach efforts at the music festival. "Where else can you potentially reach thousands of people for Christ in one setting?" he said, adding that he and his wife believed it was "one of the finest ministries" in which they participated. Keeping the tradition alive, Thompson signed up this year to work the Saturday morning shift at the Jesus Tent. When he arrived at Bonnaroo, Thompson, along with several other volunteers, passed out the frisbees. By mid-morning, Thompson was surprised -- and also delighted -- to learn that the entire supply was gone. "Next year, I'll have 'em make twice as many," said Thompson, with a chuckle. The absence of frisbees didn't stop Thompson from making his rounds. Accompanied by long-time friend Sue Simpkins, who was Gerri's best friend, Thompson went from one tent to the next, witnessing and passing out Bibles to anyone who was interested. At each stop, Thompson would strike up a conversation by asking the attendees where they lived. He would then pass along his message: "We are so glad you've come to Tennessee, and we hope you will come again. And what we really want you to know is that we love you -- and God loves you." The message was well-received by many of the attendees, including some who accepted the offer of the free Bibles that the couple was passing out. Thompson said that, through the years, the attendees have generally been very receptive. "Of the times I have been here, there has only been one instance where someone bluntly rejected the idea of having a conversation (about Jesus)," said Thompson, a member of Tulip Grove Baptist Church in Old Hickory. Thompson knows that he doesn't fit into the normal demographic in regard to Bonnaroo's crowd. But he uses that as a witnessing tool. "I get some strange looks when I tell people I am going to Bonnaroo," Thompson said. "But then I say, 'Well, let me tell you why I am going.'" -------------------------------------------------------------------- Teen walks 300 miles, spotlights human trafficking by Lisa Misner Sergent Date: June 30, 2017 - Friday ARTHUR, Illinois (BP) -- Fourteen-year-old Lindsey Yoder walked 15 miles a day along the dusty back roads of southern Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee in a quest to raise awareness about human trafficking. She departed from Arthur (Ill.) Southern Baptist Church, where she and her family are members, on May 28 and arrived at Nashville's Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park on June 24. Her mother Regina provided support throughout the entire 300-mile journey. She shared how attending a women's ministry conference in 2015 for teen girls played a role in Yoder's passion for fighting human trafficking. "Human trafficking was the focus and that fueled her interest in the issue," Regina said. What Yoder learned at conference remained with her and she was ready to make a difference. Carmen Halsey, director of Illinois Baptist State Association's Women's Missions, shared, "What Lindsey's doing now is she's learning. God has her attention, she sees the people through His eyes. She's put feet to the vision. She learned something and she did something. Lindsey's not just sitting in a pew." Halsey's said it's encouraging to see how Lindsey's mother Regina is behind her. "When her daughter got the vision, her mom gathered the other kids and packed the trailer to follow along." According to the Shared Hope International, a nonprofit that fights human trafficking, "the common age a child enters sex trafficking is 14-16, when they're too young and naïve to realize what's happening." Most victims are girls, but boys are trafficked and sold to pimps as well. Yoder was also impacted by the movie 'Priceless,' which addressed human trafficking and was produced by Hope for Justice. Yoder shared, "[my] heart was broken at the thought of all the girls who are in this horrible situation and I asked God specifically to tell me how I can help." "When He gave me the idea to walk," Yoder said in an email interview. "I knew He would provide everything I needed to make it happen." Yoder walked to Nashville because it is the home of Hope for Justice, an organization that works internationally to stop human trafficking with additional offices in Cambodia, England and Norway. When asked why she chose to walk rather than do another type of fundraiser Yoder answered, "Because God asked me to walk, so I'm doing it out of obedience. It wasn't my idea. My faith was the main reason I decided to do step out and do this event that is bigger than me." Yoder is homeschooled and leads a missional lifestyle. Last year she went to Honduras on what she called a "class field trip" with her grandfather, and she's also traveled to Haiti with her mother and sister to work in an orphanage. When asked what she wants to do in the future she said, she'd like to be a teacher in India, working as a full-time missionary. "My church has been incredibly supportive ... even more than I expected," Yoder said. My youth group sold candy bars in the Walmart parking lot to help cover expenses for lodging and gas as we travel. Our church also gave me funds to cover more of our expenses." She started her walk from the church on a Sunday morning when several in the congregation gathered to lay hands on her and pray at the end of the service. When it was time for Yoder to start her walk she said, "about 80 people joined me for the first two miles of the walk. It was so fun to be supported and surrounded by the people in my church." Yoder said she couldn't have done the walk without the support of her family. "My three older brothers each drove all the way from Ohio to walk the first two miles with me," she said. "My Mom planned all the routes and we took two pilot trips to make sure all the roads are safe for walking. My dad is at home working hard at his job and is super supportive of my walk. My younger siblings are along for the ride even though they'd rather be home." Surprise ending At the end of her journey in Nashville, Yoder said she hoped to "have learned that no matter how hard it is, God is always there for me and that I can lean on Him no matter what." Once the walk was completed, Yoder had said she would be looking forward to "sleep and ice cream." As she neared the finish line at Bicentennial Park in Nashville, Yoder had a surprise waiting for her -- Natalie Grant, Hope for Justice co-founder and Christian recording artist. Grant had heard about Yoder's effort and was waiting to walk the last mile with her. "A lot of times we're moved by an issue, we're kind of upset and it kind of bothers us, but then we just go back to living our lives," Grant told a local news station. "But this 14-year-old girl said, 'No, I'm going to do something.'" Grant shared a video with her Facebook fans the day before, telling them about Yoder's journey urging them to donate to the cause. With the additional help from Grant, the walk has raised nearly $38,000 and donations are still being accepted. Yoder chronicled the 300-mile walk from Arthur, Ill., to Nashville, Tenn., on the Facebook page Walk4Freedom, which includes a link to her Hope for Justice donation page. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Capitol Hill panel discusses religious liberty ruling by Tom Strode Date: June 30, 2017 - Friday WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in a religious freedom case is not about government funding of the church's mission, but it will have far-reaching results, a Capitol Hill audience was told Thursday night (June 29). Panelists in a conversation co-sponsored by the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) explained the impact of a June 26 opinion by the high court and how Christians should respond to the debate over church-state relations. The discussion -- the latest in a series typically hosted by the ERLC -- focused on the justices' decision in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer, a 7-2 opinion in which the justices ruled Missouri violated the free exercise of religion clause of the First Amendment by barring a church from participating in a government-run, playground-resurfacing program. The state had rejected the application of the Trinity Lutheran Church Learning Center from participation in the program -- which provided safer playground surfaces -- solely because of its affiliation with the church. ERLC President Russell Moore said the case may leave some with the mistaken impression it does not apply to them or Christians want "the government financing the mission of the church." This is not just about recycled tire scraps but "a more fundamental question about what does it mean for religious people to be active and involved in the public square, not to be discriminated against," Moore told those gathered at the Rayburn House of Representatives Office Building. "I'm a Baptist, a real Baptist, an old-time, Roger Williams sort of Baptist," he said. "There is nothing that I despise more than a state-established religion. At best, it ends up being a lifeless, dead bureaucracy. At worst, it ends up being a persecutor. So I would be the first one screaming if the United States government came in and wanted to start funding churches or any other house of worship. "This case isn't about whether the government is going to intrude itself and its money into the mission of the church," Moore said. "What it's about is whether the government is going to come in and say, 'This is for all of you in the community, but if you are a religious person or group or organization, on the basis of that you cannot even come and have this conversation and be in this place." ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman said the court's ruling "really will have some broad reaches. It will be broad enough to cover scenarios across the board." The high court demonstrated the day after the Trinity Lutheran opinion its potential impact on school voucher and other school choice programs, he said. The justices returned a school voucher case to a lower court to be reconsidered in light of their decision in the school playground case. Missouri and nearly 40 other states have what are known as Blaine amendments, provisions in their constitutions that restrict direct or indirect funding to churches and other religious organizations. The justices ruled "those provisions can no longer be used to exclude religious organizations from any type of government benefit," said Cortman, who argued on behalf of Trinity Lutheran before the Supreme Court. "What's great about this case is it will cut the legs out from those states using those type of amendments to say, 'You're otherwise qualified for this program, whatever that happens to be, but solely because of your religious status and who you are you can't participate,'" he told the audience. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., and Kevin Smith, executive director of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, provided advice on how to seek to influence others in religious liberty debates. Hartzler said she learned as a teacher the need to be gentle and not quarrelsome, based on II Timothy 2, regarding debates over a teachers union. Smith told the audience he wants to remind pastors and other Christians that though these legal cases are important, "our mission as a church and our status as a church still doesn't change." "We're still strangers and foreigners passing through a barren land," he said. "And so I try to anchor them in that type of stability so that we are aggressively seeking to enjoy the full liberty that is laid out in our Constitution, but at the same time our stability as followers of Christ -- thus our peace, our joy, our contentment -- is not altered by every single, individual court decision." Smith also said, "I always encourage Christians to avoid stomp-down fights, because it's hard to have a stomp-down fight with someone and then say, 'Oh yeah, would you like to come to my church on Sunday?' We never want to jeopardize our ability to share Christian witness." On the same day as the release of the Trinity Lutheran opinion, the court granted review of a Colorado court's ruling that a baker must decorate a cake for a same-sex wedding despite his conscientious objection. It is a "tremendously important case" among many right-of-conscience cases, Cortman said. The case "will determine not only whether people of faith are able to live out their faith but based on what principle," he said, adding the principle "will apply across the board." "[T]hese cases carry so much weight, not only for the freedom of people to live out their faith, but it will extend further to anyone who doesn't want to be forced to promote any event against their beliefs or against their free-speech rights," Cortman told those in attendance. Moore said of the case's significance, "[A] government that can force creative, artistic endeavor can do anything, literally can do anything. If you can force people not just to communicate but to endorse and celebrate things that are against their deepest convictions, that doesn't have a stopping point." In closing, Moore said Christians' commitment to the Gospel should come before their commitment to religious freedom. "I think the No. 1 thing that we have to do in order to ensure religious liberty is to raise up a generation of people who actually know what they believe and who not only have the clarity about what they believe but the courage to hold to that, even if they have to hold to that alone or it seems to be alone," he said. Previous Capitol Conversations events sponsored by the ERLC have included discussions of the media, same-sex marriage and religious liberty, Planned Parenthood and the sanctity of human life, the Supreme Court and abortion, and the Syrian refugee crisis.